Disk assembly for an agricultural implement

ABSTRACT

A disk assembly for an agricultural implement includes a hub; a disk mounted to the hub; an axle having outer threads; a sleeve having inner threads engaged with the outer threads on the axle; and a bearing assembly having an outer race adjacent the hub and an inner race adjacent the sleeve.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to disk assemblies for agriculturalimplements, and, more particularly, to mounting configurations for suchdisk assemblies.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Disk blades are used on agricultural implements to cut slot shapedopenings in the soil. For example, a disk assembly may be used as a diskopener on a seeding machine in the form of row crop unit. The frame ofthe row crop unit rigidly carries an axle to which the disk assembly ismounted. A hub carries the disk, and is mounted to the axle by anintervening ball bearing assembly. The ball bearing assembly typicallyis in the form of a single row of ball bearings positioned between aninner race and outer race.

The tendency for agricultural seeding machines has been toward no-tillplanting practices and higher ground speeds. Both no-till practices andhigher ground speeds increase the mechanical loading on the bearingassembly of the disk opener to a point which decreases the operationallife of the bearing assembly. Since the bearing assembly is usually soldas an assembly with the hub and disk, replacing the bearing assemblyalso means replacing the hub and disk which is expensive.

What is needed in the art is a disk assembly having a bearing assemblywith improved operational life, reduced mechanical loading, and theability to retrofit to existing row crop units.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a disk assembly for an agriculturalimplement, including a sleeve which acts as an adapter to couple a diskassembly having a two row ball bearing assembly with an axle configuredto directly carry a single row ball bearing assembly.

The invention comprises, in one form thereof, a disk assembly for anagricultural implement, including a hub; a disk mounted to the hub; anaxle having outer threads; a sleeve having inner threads engaged withthe outer threads on the axle; and a bearing assembly having an outerrace adjacent the hub and an inner race adjacent the sleeve.

The invention comprises, in another form thereof, a method of installinga disk assembly on an agricultural implement, including the steps of:positioning a hub, disk and bearing assembly over an axle; inserting asleeve between the axle and the bearing assembly; engaging inner threadson the sleeve with outer threads on the axle; and constraining the hub,disk and bearing assembly on the axle using a shoulder on the sleeve.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an exploded view of an embodiment of a disk assembly of thepresent invention, in relation to a portion of a frame of anagricultural implement; and

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the disk assembly of FIG. 1, when mountedto the axle and frame.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring now to the drawings, there is shown an embodiment of a diskassembly 10 of the present invention for use with an agriculturalimplement. In the embodiment shown, the agricultural implement is in theform of a row crop planter including a frame 12 for carrying diskassembly 10. Disk assembly 10 may be used as a disk opener for opening aseed trench in which seeds are deposited. The configuration andoperation of such a row crop planter is conventional, and is notdescribed further.

An axle 14 is welded to frame 12 and carries disk assembly 10. In theembodiment shown, axle 14 and a second axle 16 are each integrallyformed with a center hub 18, which in turn is welded to frame 12 aroundthe periphery thereof. Axle 14 carries a first disk opener and axle 16carries a second disk opener in the event a double disk opener is used.Of course in the event a single disk opener is used, second axle 16 maynot be present. For purposes of discussion, only axle 14 will bedescribed hereinafter, it being understood that axle 16 is similarlyconfigured.

Axle 14 includes a base end 20 and an opposite outer end 22. Axle 14includes a non-threaded outer surface 24 adjacent to base end 20,limited at the distal side away from base end 20 with a stepped shoulder26. Axle 14 includes outer threads 28 extending between stepped shoulder26 and outer end 22.

Disk assembly 10 generally includes a hub 30, disk 32, bearing assembly34 and sleeve 36. Hub 30, disk 32 and bearing assembly 34 are assembledtogether. More particularly, bearing assembly 34 is constrained betweenshoulder 38 of hub 30 and disk 32. Rivets 40 are used to couple hub 30with disk 32, thereby carrying bearing assembly 34 therebetween.

When used with a conventional disk assembly, the disk assembly includesa hub, disk and single row ball bearing assembly. The inner race of theball bearing assembly lies directly against non-threaded outer surface24 of shaft 14, and the outer race of the bearing assembly lies againstthe hub which carries the disk. A separate nut is threaded onto outerthreads 28 of axle 14 and lies adjacent the inner race of the single rowball bearing assembly to hold the ball bearing assembly in place againstcenter hub 18. The length of the single row ball bearing assemblygenerally corresponds to the length of non-threaded outer surface 24 ofaxle 14.

In contrast, bearing assembly 34 includes an inner race 42, outer race44, first concentric row of ball bearings 46, and second concentric rowof ball bearings 48. By using two rows of ball bearings 46, 48 ratherthan a single row of ball bearings as in conventional designs, the loaddistribution can be decreased, further increasing the operational lifeof bearing assembly 34 and disk assembly 10. However, as is alsoapparent from FIG. 2, the axial length of bearing assembly 34 is greaterthan the axial length of non-threaded outer surface 24, thus notallowing two row ball bearing assembly 34 to be mounted directly onnon-threaded outer surface 24.

Inner race 42 of bearing assembly 34 has an inside diameter which isgreater than the outside diameter of non-threaded outer surface 24.Sleeve 36 is interposed between bearing assembly 34 and shaft 14, andacts as an adapter to allow the double row ball bearings of bearingassembly 34 to be carried by conventional axle 14. More particularly,sleeve 36 includes inner threads 50 which engage with outer threads 28on axle 14. For threaded engagement between sleeve 36 and axle 14, theoutboard end of sleeve 36 is configured with a drive nut 59 for rotationusing an air gun, wrench or the like. Sleeve 36 includes a non-threadedinner surface 50 which extends substantially the length of inner race 42and lies closely adjacent non-threaded outer surface 24 of axle 14.Sleeve 36 also includes an outer surface 52 which directly carries innerrace 42 of bearing assembly 34. A shoulder 54 extending from outersurface 52 constrains an axial end of inner race 42. The opposite axialend of inner race 42 is constrained using shoulder 56 extending fromaxle 14, with or without one or more intervening shims 58. A dust cap 60is pressed into the outer end of hub 30, and prevents entry of foreignmatter into bearing assembly 34.

To install disk assembly 10, the old disk assembly which may include asingle row ball bearing assembly is removed from axle 14. If needed, oneof more shims 58 are placed over axle 14 and against shoulder 56 priorto positioning bearing assembly 34 over axle 14. Bearing assembly 34,carried by hub 30 and disk 32, is positioned over axle 14 and held inplace while sleeve 36 is slid into position between axle 14 and innerrace 42 of bearing assembly 34. Sleeve 36 can only be slid in an axialdirection until inner threads 50 meet with outer threads 28 on axle 14.At that point, drive nut 59 is rotated to threadingly couple sleeve 36with axle 14, thereby in turn causing translational movement of sleeve36 toward shoulder 56. Dust cap 60 is pressed into place within hub 30to prevent dust from entering disk assembly 10, particularly bearingassembly 34.

Having described the preferred embodiment, it will become apparent thatvarious modifications can be made without departing from the scope ofthe invention as defined in the accompanying claims.

1. A disk assembly for an agricultural implement, comprising: a hub; adisk mounted to said hub; an axle having outer threads; a sleeve havinginner threads engaged with said outer threads on said axle; and abearing assembly having an outer race adjacent said hub and an innerrace adjacent said sleeve.
 2. The disk assembly of claim 1, wherein saidaxle includes a base end and an outer end opposite said base end, saidouter threads being adjacent said outer end.
 3. The disk assembly ofclaim 2, wherein said axle includes a non-threaded outer surfaceadjacent said base end.
 4. The disk assembly of claim 3, wherein saidaxle includes a stepped shoulder between said non-threaded outer surfaceand said outer threads.
 5. The disk assembly of claim 1, wherein saidsleeve includes a drive nut.
 6. The disk assembly of claim 1, whereinsaid axle includes a first shoulder and said sleeve includes a secondshoulder, said bearing assembly being constrained between said firstshoulder and said second shoulder.
 7. The disk assembly of claim 6,wherein said bearing assembly is also constrained between said hub andsaid disk.
 8. The disk assembly of claim 6, further including at leastone shim between said first shoulder and said bearing assembly.
 9. Thedisk assembly of claim 1, wherein said bearing assembly includes tworows of ball bearings between said inner race and said outer race. 10.The disk assembly of claim 1, wherein said disk assembly comprises adisk opener assembly on an agricultural seeding machine.
 11. Anagricultural implement, comprising: a frame member; a disk assemblycarried by said frame member, said disk assembly including: a hub; adisk mounted to said hub; an axle having outer threads; a sleeve havinginner threads engaged with said outer threads on said axle; and abearing assembly having an outer race adjacent said hub and an innerrace adjacent said sleeve.
 12. The agricultural implement of claim 11,wherein said axle includes a base end and an outer end opposite saidbase end, said outer threads being adjacent said outer end.
 13. Theagricultural implement of claim 12, wherein said axle includes anon-threaded outer surface adjacent said base end.
 14. The agriculturalimplement of claim 11, wherein said sleeve includes a drive nut.
 15. Theagricultural implement of claim 11, wherein said axle includes a firstshoulder and said sleeve includes a second shoulder, said bearingassembly being constrained between said first shoulder and said secondshoulder.
 16. A method of installing a disk assembly on an agriculturalimplement, comprising the steps of: positioning a hub, disk and bearingassembly over an axle; inserting a sleeve between said axle and saidbearing assembly; engaging inner threads on said sleeve with outerthreads on said axle; and constraining said hub, disk and bearingassembly on said axle using a shoulder on said sleeve.
 17. The method ofinstalling a disk assembly of claim 16, wherein said sleeve includes adrive nut, and said engaging step includes rotatably driving said sleeveusing said drive nut.
 18. The method of installing a disk assembly ofclaim 16, wherein said sleeve includes an outer surface, and saidshoulder extends from said outer surface.
 19. The method of installing adisk assembly of claim 16, wherein said axle includes a base end, andincluding the step of installing at least one shim at said base end,prior to said positioning step.